Europe UK : Blyk, the new mobile network for 16-24 year olds funded by advertising, has signed up over 100,000 members since its launch in the UK at the end of September, 2007. Members have embraced the Blyk concept so rapidly that annual member targets have been reached six months ahead of schedule, establishing it as a powerful new media for connecting advertisers with young people.

Blyk gives members free texts and minutes every month which equates to an individual saving of over £2801 each year – with no contract, no hidden costs or fees – in return for receiving up to six highly targeted advertising messages per day from brands including Xbox, Adidas, STA Travel, Penguin, Brylcreem, Boots, COI and RSPCA.

The ad campaigns that fund the service have generated industry leading average response rates of 29%, at a time when trust in other forms of mass advertising is falling and brands are finding it increasingly difficult to engage with young people.

Shaun Gregory, UK CEO said: "Young people have embraced Blyk because it makes phone bills and contracts a thing of the past. We believe that communication should be free, like most other forms of media in the UK. Blyk provides brands and advertisers with an exciting way of reaching the youth market in a very personalised way that works. Reaching 100,000 members is significant for advertisers because it gives them the opportunity to engage with a mass youth audience in a highly efficient and cost-effective way. In six months we have built up a deep knowledge of our member base which now exceeds many established youth media players and with over 7 million 16-24 year old phone owners in the UK there is huge potential for growth."

Blyk’s proposition is based on the insight that messaging is the simple dominant mobile behaviour for 16-24 year olds. When new members join Blyk they are profiled based on their lifestyle and personal interests. This profiling is 100% opt-in and it helps Blyk to build up a deep knowledge of its customer base and deliver relevant communications to them. The profile enriches over time which means that the consumer experience just gets better and better.

1 Annual saving of £288 based on average phone bill for 16-24 year olds on both PAYG and contracts. Guide: TGI April ’06 – March ‘07

Brands are using Blyk to create awareness, build relationships and drive action and sales through one-to-one interactions. Although the average response rate to advertising campaigns is 29%, many are significantly higher.

Penguin Books ran a campaign on Blyk to promote the launch of Nick Hornby’s latest novel ‘Slam’ and achieved an unprecedented 67% response rate. Blyk created a two-part messaging dialogue whereby positive respondents received a 90 second audio preview of the opening chapter read by Nicholas Hoult, star of Channel 4’s ‘Skins’ - a media first for using audio clips sent via mobile to promote a book.

Blyk is launching in the Netherlands in the second half of 2008 followed by other European markets and has recently attracted new investors Goldman Sachs and Industrial and Financial Investments Company (IFIC), who join a roster that includes Sofinnova Partners and a number of private investors.